Big Electricity Bill

[5-element]

Personally, I have no idea if electricity is cheaper in France or in the UK, and no vested interest in knowing the objective answer.

All I know is that today again, on the news, they said that France is the cheapest European country for electricity. Which may be why one-third of French households use electricity for their heating.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="5-element"]Which may be why one-third of French households use electricity for their heating.

[/quote]Interesting.  We had solid fuel central heating in the UK.  Here we have electric.  Our fuel bill is now about the same as it was when we left the UK (that is the cost of electricity and coal - well smoke free black stuff, anyway) - ie around 100 euros a month as opposed to about £90 a month when we left Britain.  But we are still burning our old roof timbers in the woodburner in the sejour - although that's just for a couple of hours in the evening in winter, plus I have three gas rings on the cooker which use about 3 small gas cylinders a year.  It does certainly seem to me to be one of the few things which really is cheaper here.

The o/p's electricity bill looks like peanuts to me, but I do have every electric and electronic device known to woman!

[Gardian]

[quote user="Chancer"]

To add to your pool of knowledge

More of a cesspit I'd say!

 I am also assuming that the first 728 kwh you refer to is an annual as opposed to quarterly figure so I am doing the same.

Yes, annual.

1st 500 kwh @ 24.173p thereafter 10.693p

My instant reaction is that this is quite a good deal, & gets better the more you use.

[/quote]

[Gardian]

[quote user="crazyfrog"]Hi. Which supplier are you with in France (or am i missing the point that there is only EDF). I've just moved to HC and we pay 11.54cts and 7.34cts respectively (6kw puissance). [/quote]

Yes, it's the EDF figure & straight off their website. It's apparently the 'all-up' cost (tax etc incl) and a sense-check would seem to confirm that.

[Chancer]

[quote user="Gardian"][quote user="Chancer"]

To add to your pool of knowledge

More of a cesspit I'd say!

 I am also assuming that the first 728 kwh you refer to is an annual as opposed to quarterly figure so I am doing the same.

Yes, annual.

1st 500 kwh @ 24.173p thereafter 10.693p

My instant reaction is that this is quite a good deal, & gets better the more you use.

[/quote][/quote]

Its a good deal for me as I tag on to the tenants contract and benefit from the larger consumption of the house overall, they in turn benefit because my consumption accounts for 37% of the total consumption (I heat by electric when I am there in the winter months, they use gas) I pay for 37% of my units at the higher rate hence seffectively subsidising their standing charge if you get my drift.

If I were to have my own supply most of my consumption would be at the higher rate as your calculation confirmed, it currently costs me £120 per year averaged out.

There is also the not inconsiderable cost of obtaining a seperate supply, getting everything certified etc, luckily with a standard UK 60 amp supply one can do things like this. Anyone trying to steal from my 6kw French supply would soon trip the disjoncteur.

Thanks again for sharing your spreadsheet with us.

[Angie]

We have a new build, really well insulated and double glazed holiday home.  We pay our EDF bill by monthly direct debit. 

Last year and the year before we were at the house on holiday for a total of about 10 weeks mostly in the summer so obviously did not use the electric heating.  EDF estimate our bills at 49 euros a month so for a total of 10 weeks over the past 2 years we have paid 980 euros.  This is almost the same as what we pay in the UK for a full years worth of electricity and we are ALL electric in the UK. 

EDF have not read the meter at all and plan to increase our monthly payment again this year; I am assuming we will get some of this money back at some point as I hope everyone will agree this is a bit on the high side!  If we opt to pay the actual bill rather than by monthly DD would this force EDF to come and read the meter?  I did try last year to send them a meter reading via their English speaking website but they wasn't interested.

[Gardengirl]

Steve, I quoted our figures in an earlier post of around £900 for a 4 bedroom detached house with full gas central heating and good insulation. We don't go in for many gadgets etc, and we're there for the whole of the summer, parts of all the other seasons, making 6 months of the year normally. In France we pay about €400 for a 1 bedroom very well-insulated modern apartment; it's used for a good part of the winter, plus spring and autumn use, and we return to UK for July and August. We have 3 electric heaters in the French apartment, rarely use the one in the kitchen however cold it gets (and it gets very cold in winter here), and use the washer/drier, and have an electric hob and oven, very few other appliances. For a lot more use in colder seasons we pay not that much less than you, so I guess you should get a refund at some point.

I have a note of an English speaking helpline; I've never used it, and someone might know if it's still right one: 00 33 56 21 64 90 8. I understand it worked in April, that early in the morning was a good time to ring (from 08.00 French time), and that the people were very helpful. Apparently there are 3 people in the office, so keep trying if the lines are engaged. good luck. [:)]

[HoneySuckleDreams]

I can enter our readings online via the EDF web site.

[Angie]

Thank you so much for this information, very much appreciated.  I will certainly be giving EDF a call as I think from what you say that my monthly payment is far too high.  All the best, Steve

[Doodle]

I'm finding this subject very interesting at the moment as my neighbour has just asked me to look into their EDF bill as they think it rather high at 1017 euros. I agree as it is slightly more than mine and I live here full time.

They moved into their new house last June living there mostly full time until December when they went back to the UK permanently. They have been paying 120 euros per month for 10 months and have just received their bill (actual reading done on a yearly basis) giving them a rebate of 133 euros. which according to their contract they will receive within 15 days of receipt of this bill.

For this coming year the monthly payments have reduced to 59 euros (why they don't know) for a 10 month period and although they think the last bill high they are now worried that the new payments will leave them short and having to find a few hundred euros next year.

Apparently EDF based their usage of electricity on the amount of rooms in the property ie 7.

Between us we have been trying to find the source of the guzzler! From December all the heaters were set to minimum except two very hot heated towel rails (in separate bathrooms). They also said their hot water is too hot (300L tank) although that has not been switched on since December.

I know through monitoring my own consumption of electricity that my heated towel rad was using an awful lot of electricity until I finally sorted out the settings. I have also reduced the temperature for the hot water and that now uses 3 units overnight compared to 13 previously - not a lot until you work it out over the year.

Having switched off their towel rads and monitoring the unit usage for the last few days, I think I can say the culprits are the towel rads.

But the biggest surprise I had going through their bill is how much we all pay in tax locale, TVA and 'other'. Basically their electricity usage amounts to 653 euros. The rest is 101 euros standing charge and the other 312 euros being taxes and my french neighbour tells me we are about to have a price rise in August!

I think we shall take to living in one room throughout winter!

[Belle]

Steve, I'm very surprised that the edf english line didn't want to help when you offered your meter readings, as this is what we do every two months, they only come and read our meter every six months, so as I say, hubby reads the meter and I ring them up, they have usually taken the amount out of our account, but they put the over amount straight back.

[Gardian]

I think that 'kg' has summed it up.

Low usage + a monthly standing charge + taxes = 'disproportionate' bill.

You need to take your own readings every week for 2-3 wks when you're there to give you a feel for your true consumption. Then check out the charges etc on the EDF website: it's not a hard calculation.

It wouldn't surprise me though, to find that your estimated bill is right-ish +20% (because that's what Utilities do).  

[Framboise]

We had been pootling along merrily since moving here two years ago with leccy bills coming in at around 200€ for the winter readings - then WHAM! Last one we got was for 900€!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't know whats going on because they've read the meter regularly, we have wood fires with only two plug-in rads for winter (this last bill was not even for the worst period of weather), a ballon chaude, electric oven - so where has this come from? We are'nt running the city of Caen surely?

Of course we are obliged to pay it whilst they debate whether the meter was faulty or not - neverthless it was one we could have done without.

[Steph1]

I think I have read somewhere that there is something you can buy to test the amount of electricity your appliances use, anyone know the name of it?

[pachapapa]

Hampmeter.[:)]